Braving the cold

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But once the storm passed on Friday morning, PSEG reported no outages in East Meadow, and fewer than five in Salisbury.

State Assemblyman Tom McKevitt said he was on conference calls with PSEG officials on Wednesday and Thursday before the storm, and was encouraged by what he heard. “It seemed to me like they had a good handle on things,” McKevitt said.

He added that PSEG officials emphasized their experience in storm restoration — the company, formed in 1903, services nearly three-fourths of New Jersey’s population.

While McKevitt noted the relatively limited impact of last week’s storm compared with major meteorological events like Hurricanes Irene and Sandy in 2011 and 2012, he said that PSEG officials made him feel confident about future storms. “I was pleased with the communication I was getting,” he said. “And it was certainly more than I ever received from LIPA.”

Neighbors helping neighbors

Norma Gonsalves, the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, who lives in East Meadow, said she saw many residents helping their neighbors during the storm. “You had people assisting those who couldn’t assist themselves,” she said. “I think that was a show of community strength.”

Gonsalves said she didn’t receive any complaints during the storm, and urged people to stay safe during the bitter cold that followed. “I’m concerned for people going out there and not being prepared,” she said. “I only hope that social services and the police precincts were able to round people up and bring them to shelters.”